1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus for use in a wall frame and to a wall frame.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,128,979 issued Dec. 12, 1978 to Price describes a wall frame comprised of vertical studs and horizontal channel members. The vertical studs have a series of horizontally aligned openings and a horizontal channel member extends through each set of aligned openings. The frame may demountably mount a gypsum board wall panel with a plurality of clips attached thereto. More particularly, a number of gang nail plates, each with a clip in the nature of a finger downwardly depending therefrom, may be hammered into a gypsum board panel. The panel may then be supported by the channel members of the wall framing system by setting the clips of the board onto the horizontal channel members. A difficulty with this wall frame is that the horizontal channel members extending along the wall cavity make it difficult to provide vertical electrical conduit within the cavity.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,811,539 issued Mar. 14, 1989 to Menchetti provides a wall frame for gypsum board panels which can accommodate vertical conduit. In Menchetti, special U-shaped studs have two parallel web portions with aligned openings. Each pair of aligned openings tightly receives a short horizontal channel member. Thereafter, a gypsum board panel with clips of the type described hereinbefore may be clipped into the horizontal short channel members. Blocks of wood may be provided at the free ends of the short channel members to prevent the gypsum board rattling against the short channel members. Alternatively, the short channel members may be provided with metal tags which press against the board panel.
Field assembly of Menchetti's frame may prove time consuming as the short channel members must be inserted into the firmly holding openings in his U-shaped stud.
This invention seeks to overcome drawbacks of the known prior art.